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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 1930.PDF
416 FLIGHT International, 6 September 1962 SUCCESS IN THE EXPORT MARKETS... school which provides courses of ground instruction for the operator's personnel: to date, over 6,000 people from more than 60 operators have been trained at Weybridge. Engine Sales—and the Future In recent years, engines have overtaken aircraft as the most important item in British aircraft industry exports. It seemed appro priate, then, to round out these visits by going to one of the engine companies, and it was especially appropriate to find there two views, so to say, on the export situation embodied in one man; for Mr W. H. Rees, general sales manager of Bristol Siddeley Engines is, also a member of the SBAC sales and exports committee. Recently he has been to Japan, where the Bristol Siddeley Orpheus powers the Fuji T1F2 trainer; earlier he had visited India, where Orpheus engines are being built for the Folland Gnat and Hindu stan HF-24. Listening to some of his experiences in meeting Japanese technicians and Indian Ministry of Defence officials, it was easy to appreciate that it is no sinecure selling British aircraft industry products abroad. On the one hand there is the need fcr technical satisfaction of a country's requirements (before the war, "more power" was the cry; now, it's more a case of building aircraft to use the power available). On the other hand, there is national pride and there are foreign exchange problems, such as India is encountering. There is stiff American competition, both in Europe, and in a country like Japan in a US sphere of influence. On a wall in Mr Rees' office in the Bristol Siddeley London headquarters, Mercury House, Knightsbridge, is a map of the world: it confronts him every time he looks up from his desk, and he is continually conscious of the global sales effort which the main sectors of the British aircraft industry have to make all the time. "It's unrelenting," he says. "I could spend 50 weeks abroad every year." Bristol Siddeley fight a stiff battle on the home front with Rolls-Royce; Mr Rees wishes they could do more in the civil field, but so far this young company—an "amalgam", he calls it- has not been as successful in civil contracts as its great compe titor. But on certain lines, especially affecting the export field, BS have had tremendous success: in the Orpheus they have responded to the NATO lightweight fighter engine concept; their marine Proteus has been supplied to naval forces of NATO countries; and the Pegasus vectored thrust engine in the Hawker P. 1127 recently received Government backing as a joint study project. Sweden is one of the company's big customers, for the Thor ramjet, marine Proteus and Gnome engines; and recently Bristol Siddeley have shared with Rolls-Royce in a market research study of the United States: the two companies are sharing the cost jointly, but of course their conclusions will be independent. Mr Rees looked across to the map and commented: "There's a tremendous potential market, particularly in the Far East, and in Latin America; the world's demands for power are constantly increasing." One difficulty he sees for companies doing export business is that of finding out what is going on abroad—keeping up an intelligence network. This is costly; it's expensive even to maintain an office and a secretary in a foreign capital—perhaps not when you're doing business, but certainly for the decade when you may not be. Wisely, Mr Rees would not scorn any source of helpful information abroad, such as air and commercial attaches, though they may vary in usefulness, and much of their time is taken up by official jobs. As to Europe, he pronounces himself a firm Common Marketeer; already, indeed, there exist the skeleton structures of two European aircraft consortia. Several times, during this round of visits, Flight International has heard comments favouring Common Market membership. In this direction, perhaps, and with increasing emphasis on co operation between countries, lies the best hope for the economic future of Britain's aircraft industry. The SBAC's Role What part is played in British aircraft industry exports by the Society of British Aircraft Constructors? The society's director, Mr Edward Bowyer, has made its role clear in the following special contribution to this article: "The Society of British Aircraft Constructors [he writes] is the Contractual smiles—from the sales manager and publicity manager—as the customer signs official spokesman and representative of the British aircraft, aero engine, missile and equipment manufacturers—in all, nearly 600 companies in the Commonwealth. Its activities cover every aspect of the industry's problems. None is accorded more importance than the encouragement of the export trade. "Market intelligence, ranging from broad economic intelligence to data on individual customers and competitors, is provided throughout the membership. Trends in competitive foreign aircraft industries are closely studied. "In line with the national and industrial policy of international co-operation, the Society some time ago joined AICMA (Inter national Association of Aircraft.Manufacturers) and participates in studies on labour costs, tariffs, contract conditions and the pro visions of the Rome Treaty—all factors which may have an in creasing influence on future export achievement. "Advice and information on sales opportunities overseas are made available to all members. The sales and export committee, one of the main policy committees, which advise the council and management committee of the Society, discusses the wisdom of participation, either as an industry or individually, in overseas exhibitions and fairs, and their advice is communicated to all members. "An export finance sub-committee of the Society maintains close liaison with the Exports Credit Guarantee Department. Provision of attractive credit terms is a critical factor in export sales, and the sub-committee advances with the Board of Trade and Ministry of Aviation a better understanding of the industry's need of and eligibility for broader and more liberal export finance. "The wider aspects of Government policy in their application to export business are prominent in representations made by the Society at Ministerial levels, deriving from certainty that the industry's future, as in the past, must depend upon success in the export markets. "Information about trade opportunities overseas, suggestions about agents and the briefing of UK air attaches appointed to posts abroad are essential details in the daily work of the Society's expon officer and his colleagues. "Finally, the main single SBAC activity in the encouragement of export business is the series since 1932 of SBAC displays which, il there were no export business to seek, would never have taken place." The 1962 display, like its predecessors, brings together all sides of the industry as contributors to a national shop window for air craft products—for an international clientele, upon whose custom the industry so largely depends.
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